In Israel, the Israeli government is refusing to abandon its latest plan for building a new settlement in the Occupied Territories. Twenty homes are slated to be built at the site, known as Maskiot, near the West Bank’s eastern border with Jordan. Yariv Oppenheimer of the Israeli group Peace Now criticized the move.

Yariv Oppenheimer: “We strongly condemn this decision by the Defense Ministry to allow new settlements in the West Bank in the Jordan Valley. This is not the interest of the Israeli people and the Israeli public to have new settlements while we are having negotiations with the Palestinians about having the two states.”

Israel had previously vowed to stop settlement activity but then claimed its pledge only applied to building new settlements, not expanding existing ones. The latest plan violates even that claim.